Nando's. Is it Me?
Discussion
I love Nandos too.
I still remember going there in the early 1990's and seeing the list of places they opened new restaurants grow on the wall.
They have always been known for their Marketing Dept. great sense of humour in Adverts too - especially political.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNOUY4ZYKys
Yep, my favourite fast food restaurant since the 90's!
I still remember going there in the early 1990's and seeing the list of places they opened new restaurants grow on the wall.
They have always been known for their Marketing Dept. great sense of humour in Adverts too - especially political.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNOUY4ZYKys
Yep, my favourite fast food restaurant since the 90's!
I've mentioned this on another thread about Nando's, but my tuppence worth....
When it first launched it was a VERY different place in terms of food quality. I still remember going to one for the first time. When they started up, they used to marinate the chicken for 24 hours prior to cooking and everything was cooked FRESH when you ordered. I remember I was a Medium guy when it started out, I like and eat a lot of spicy food and that was enough for me to feel the heat but still enjoy eating it.
Since it's grown and expanded, they're changed how the chicken is cooked. No longer marinated for that long plus it's all partially cooked in advance and only finished up on the grill when you order to keep the time down. This is why now so often you get your chicken looking wet, rubbery skin and looking like it was just waved over the grill. They don't need it on there to cook it anymore so when they're busy or when the person on the grill can't be bothered it's just thrown on for a few minutes.
They've also tamed their spice because of all this, I'm now an Extra Hot guy with a bit of added sauce on top as the chicken doesn't absorb the chilli.
Don't get me wrong I'll never not eat from there but it now seems an exception when the chicken is grilled properly rather than the standard, plus it's gotten seriously expensive. Used to go 2-3 times a month in it's heyday, now probably eat there once every few months.
When it first launched it was a VERY different place in terms of food quality. I still remember going to one for the first time. When they started up, they used to marinate the chicken for 24 hours prior to cooking and everything was cooked FRESH when you ordered. I remember I was a Medium guy when it started out, I like and eat a lot of spicy food and that was enough for me to feel the heat but still enjoy eating it.
Since it's grown and expanded, they're changed how the chicken is cooked. No longer marinated for that long plus it's all partially cooked in advance and only finished up on the grill when you order to keep the time down. This is why now so often you get your chicken looking wet, rubbery skin and looking like it was just waved over the grill. They don't need it on there to cook it anymore so when they're busy or when the person on the grill can't be bothered it's just thrown on for a few minutes.
They've also tamed their spice because of all this, I'm now an Extra Hot guy with a bit of added sauce on top as the chicken doesn't absorb the chilli.
Don't get me wrong I'll never not eat from there but it now seems an exception when the chicken is grilled properly rather than the standard, plus it's gotten seriously expensive. Used to go 2-3 times a month in it's heyday, now probably eat there once every few months.
Wagamama was exactly the same when it was owned by the founder. After he sold to a big corporate, they expanded to a lot of locations, started centralised kitchens and reheating onsite. Moving cooking centrally requires the use of preservatives, stabilisers, emulsifiers etc to ensure the food stays intact during transportation, sauces don't split etc which then require other ingredients to cover up the tastes from the chemicals. It's a downwards spiral in terms of quality and nutrition. Unfortunately it's the standard these days for chain establishments. It's very rare that they will cook fresh onsite.
I was shocked at uni, one of my friends got a job as a 'chef' in a nationwide Italian chain. He didn't have any cooking skills, he told me he basically assembled ready meals onto plates. Might have to deep fry some chips or something but his job didn't require proper chef skills. He just had to follow a set series of instructions, said it wasn't very difficult.
I was shocked at uni, one of my friends got a job as a 'chef' in a nationwide Italian chain. He didn't have any cooking skills, he told me he basically assembled ready meals onto plates. Might have to deep fry some chips or something but his job didn't require proper chef skills. He just had to follow a set series of instructions, said it wasn't very difficult.
Edited by wyson on Wednesday 8th November 10:31
It’s always been partially cooked they have never cooked it from raw to order. It is marinated off site too and comes in ready to steam cook and then finish on the grille. It is a South African chain and over there it is literally fast food like McDonald’s it is not like it is here where they kind of make it like a restaurant. When they initially launched in the South African fast style it didn’t work in the UK so the UK was first to go restaurant based. It is still owned by the founders though
Edited by craigjm on Wednesday 8th November 10:29
craigjm said:
It’s always been partially cooked they have never cooked it from raw to order. It is a South African chain and over there it is literally fast food like McDonald’s it is not like it is here where they kind of make it like a restaurant. When they initially launched in the South African fast style it didn’t work in the UK so the UK was first to go restaurant based. It is still owned by the founders though
Yep, I never ate in and always did takeaway in SA. It was my go-to work lunch place 2 or 3x a week in the 1990's. It's fast food.In the UK, I was very happy when it migrated over to here and, again, it became a weekly staple for a takeaway albeit only once a week.
Nowadays, I only go once every few months and sit in.
Better restaurant quality is in Portugal where it is the 'real thing' as far as Mozambique Peri-Peri chicken goes.
This song from one of my favourite bands says everything.
https://thebarstewardsons.bandcamp.com/track/nando...
https://thebarstewardsons.bandcamp.com/track/nando...
YorkshireStu said:
Better restaurant quality is in Portugal where it is the 'real thing' as far as Mozambique Peri-Peri chicken goes.
There was this street vendor in the Algarve, he sold Peri Peri chicken out of a half cut oil drum turned into a grill. It was seriously delicious. Ended up eating his chicken most nights for two weeks! Can't even compare that to Nando's, where I am hesitant to eat. Not bad enough to have a comedy factor, not good enough to enjoy.
wyson said:
Wagamama was exactly the same when it was owned by the founder. After he sold to a big corporate, they expanded to a lot of locations, started centralised kitchens and reheating onsite. Moving cooking centrally requires the use of preservatives, stabilisers, emulsifiers etc to ensure the food stays intact during transportation, sauces don't split etc which then require other ingredients to cover up the tastes from the chemicals. It's a downwards spiral in terms of quality and nutrition. Unfortunately it's the standard these days for chain establishments. It's very rare that they will cook fresh onsite.
I was shocked at uni, one of my friends got a job as a 'chef' in a nationwide Italian chain. He didn't have any cooking skills, he told me he basically assembled ready meals onto plates. Might have to deep fry some chips or something but his job didn't require proper chef skills. He just had to follow a set series of instructions, said it wasn't very difficult.
I stand corrected then on the cooking, somethings certainly changed over the years though because it used to take a lot longer to prepare and was never served up so beige I was shocked at uni, one of my friends got a job as a 'chef' in a nationwide Italian chain. He didn't have any cooking skills, he told me he basically assembled ready meals onto plates. Might have to deep fry some chips or something but his job didn't require proper chef skills. He just had to follow a set series of instructions, said it wasn't very difficult.
Edited by wyson on Wednesday 8th November 10:31
Some Gump said:
I find it utterly baffling that anyone would willingly go to a nandos.it's fast food without the fast.
Horrible dry chicken, mostly horrible venues, full of screaming children. It's like a worse pizza express.
For the same money you could take your family to somewhere nice instead!
I'm astonished at how popular it is, and what they get away with charging. We ordered a delivery from one the other day at work, I had a double chicken wrap with one side and it was £15, could have got something just as nice if not better from a bossman place for less than half the price. Not to mention the order was supposed to be ready for collection at 12:10 and I didn't walk out the door with it until nearly one o'clock.Horrible dry chicken, mostly horrible venues, full of screaming children. It's like a worse pizza express.
For the same money you could take your family to somewhere nice instead!
Also maybe it's just me, but when I go out to eat I want something that isn't easily re-creatable at home. I could make fakeaway KFC, kebab, pizza etc but it isn't worth the time, effort and ingredients half the time. If i wanted to recreate a nandos I'd just need some chicken and a bottle of peri-peri sauce.
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